DP1 Students: IA Engagements!

Paper 1 Questions

General Note on Paper 1 Questions

You are given four sources (A, B, C, D) on this exam and it is expected that you will use the sources in every answer. This means that if you DO NOT refer to a source in one of your responses, you are doing it wrong! The first three questions will tell you which sources you should use, and the 4th question leaves it up to you to use multiple sources in your response (aim to use all four!)

One source on every Paper 1 exam is some type of image - it could be a photograph (most likely) or a graph or chart. Read the caption for the image to make sure you know what it represents! Don't assume!

Question 1 (3 points)

Question 1 is the most straightforward of the questions. You are told exactly which source you should use, and you should not use any of the other sources in your response. Sometimes, you will be instructed to use the image source.

Q1 is a question that expects you to show your knowledge and understanding (a basic response can get partial credit, while a slightly more involved response can get the full score.) A one-paragraph response is ideal -- 4-6 sentences is often enough! Don't spend too much time on this, as it's only worth 3 points. Get all the points (or, if you are confused, get a few points) and get out!

Command terms here will include...

Define: give a precise meaning of a term, concept, etc.

Describe: give a detailed account (specific information from the source is best!)

Identify: use what is inside the source and provide an example (or more than one -- there are usually many possibilities.)

Outline: similar to "Describe," you should give a brief overview or summary of what the question asks for.

Question 2 (4 points)

This question moves us to the next level -- it's not quite as simple, but it's not deeply analytical (yet.)

In Question 2, you are most likely to be asked to apply your knowledge to the subject of the question. It is expected that you will use ONE source (and the Question will tell you which one to use) in combination with what you know. If you just use your knowledge, or just use the source, you won't be able to get a full score on this question.

This question will most likely be on a concept (usually a key concept from a specific unit.) You could be asked to "Analyze the importance of a functioning government to the idea of Legitimacy, using Source B and your own knowledge." You would then take what you know about the idea of Legitimacy, connect it to what the question is asking about, and also use relevant information or ideas from Source B on the exam.

Command terms include...

Explain: give a detailed account of reasons and/or causes

Distinguish: similar to explain, but focusing on the differences between two things (the question should tell you the two things)

Suggest: propose a solution or offer a hypothesis (this is a fairly uncommon command term)

Analyze: break something down to "bring out the essential elements or structure" -- the way this command term is described can be confusing. I prefer to present it like this: take a more complex idea, and break it down, showing how the different pieces work (e.g. "a functioning government is often taken for granted, but it really is a critical part of being a legitimate state. A government that is not functional might not be able to fully meet the other requirements of statehood -- it might not have control of its territory, it might not have the respect and consent of its citizens, and it might not be recognized by other states. Source B says...")

Question 3 (8 points)

This is where things start to get funky. Note that Question 3 is worth more than Q1 and Q2 COMBINED. This should give you an idea of how much time you need to spend on these questions -- in a 75 minute test, you should spend a majority of your time on Questions 3 and 4.

Question 3 will tell you to use TWO sources: it is a compare and contrast question. Or, it could be a question that just asks you to compare or just contrast. This is the first time that the organization of your response matters! You need to make sure that you are doing what the command term tells you do to throughout your response.

You should aim to make about four separate points (e.g. two points of comparison, and another two of contrast; or four points of whatever the individual command term is, if you're told to just compare OR contrast.) This can be quite hard. Usually two points, or maybe three, are a bit more obvious, and the final point(s) can be difficult to determine. You may have to use your judgement, you may need to be critical of the sources you are told to use, and you may need to think about how you can apply different perspectives or points of view that we learn about in class.

It is not uncommon for a Question 3 response to be somewhere between 300 and 500 words. If you practice and spend your exam time wisely, you can definitely write that much. Short responses are unlikely to earn more than 3 or 4 points (and that's if they are short and good.)

Question 4 (10 points)

This is the big kahuna -- a ten point essay. This is the most advanced question on the exam, and the one where even top students frequently score 6 or 7 points out of the maximum 10.

I would encourage you to think of Q4 as a "mini-essay." What's the difference? An essay typically begins with a solid introduction paragraph and a thesis statement introducing your argument or main idea. I don't think Question 4 requires a full introduction; a few sentences and then a thesis statement is sufficient, but you'd better have that thesis!

This is the most analytical question of them all, and you are NOT told which sources to use; rather, the directions will tell you to "use the sources and your knowledge of Global Politics," meaning it's up to you and your brain to figure this one out -- no clues! (It often helps to read this question at the very beginning of the exam, so when you answer the other questions using the four sources, you already should have some ideas of what is in those sources and how you can use them.)

You'll be asked to...

Discuss: Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of arguments, ideas, hypotheses, and/or factors (depending on the question.) Note that this means you have to talk about multiple arguments or ideas, not just one! Many students misunderstand this command term and see it as less analytical -- it is one of the toughest ones, so don't be fooled!

Evaluate: Make a judgment or appraisal. A lot of you really enjoy judging things (and people -- Hi, Megan!) THIS IS THE COMMAND TERM FOR YOU! BE RUTHLESS! But seriously, you're meant to make a reasonable judgment by looking at strengths and limitations -- this could be of a concept, a point of view, an argument, etc.

Examine: Consider an argument or concept in a way that uncovers the assumptions and interrelationships of the issue. Also quite hard! Think of this as a really focused analysis of an idea. For example, let's assume we have a question that says "Examine the importance of women's social status to a country's development." A few things we can pull out of this...

A lot of people think of development as a mainly economic thing (but it's actually economic, social, and political)
Women make up roughly half of the population, so naturally they'd be important.
Women are sometimes seen as at a lower social level than men, which means they are typically behind in development; countries where this is the case have half of their population at a significant economic, social, and political disadvantage!

Each of those points can be explained using examples, and likely things from the sources you are given on the exam, and the resulting response would resemble what an "Examine" question is hoping you'll do. :)

IMPORTANT!

Question 4 also requires you to include counterclaims or counterpoints, which are alternative views and opinions on the question. This means that you should not only support YOUR main idea, but also acknowledge other ways of answering the question. In an ideal world, you should try to show why your interpretation is still stronger than the counterclaim.

Sometimes the sources can be used in support of your main idea; sometimes they can be used to support a counterclaim. You should look for opportunities to use all four sources in some way; this shows the greatest understanding and insight into the topic of the question.

Page updated

Report abuse